Remote work has transformed how business continuity professionals do their jobs but not always for the better. To keep our programs effective and our organizations resilient, we need to resist the rising trend toward turning cameras off during video calls.
Related: The Human Factor: BCM Team Roles and Skill Requirements
Since the pandemic, the ways in which business continuity (BC) consultants and practitioners collaborate with IT, the business departments, and company management have been in flux. The rise in remote work and the explosion in video conferencing tools has driven the adoption of communication techniques that used to exist only in science fiction.
MHA has been a remote company from the beginning. For 26 years, we’ve used technology to link our far-flung team of BC consultants and support staff and to connect with clients of every size and industry, in the U.S. and around the world.
Site visits to our clients have always been a huge part of what we do. But if in-person meetings are the bricks of our work, modern electronic communications—including video conferencing and our web-based BC tools—have been the mortar holding them together.
That said, in the past year or so, everyone at MHA who meets with clients has noticed an unfortunate new trend: people at all levels and in all departments are pulling further and further into their shells, and their companies’ resilience is suffering as a result.
For generations, the idea of being able to see people in other places while you were talking to them was a fantasy. Dick Tracy and Captain Kirk could do it, but not you or me. Then came FaceTime, Zoom, and similar platforms, putting video communication within everyone’s reach.
But lately, when we meet with client staff to gather information for BIAs or conduct mock exercises, we’ve noticed that more and more participants are leaving their cameras off. I recently led a mock disaster exercise with 30 people in which mine was the only face on screen.
The problem with this is, if you can’t see the people, you miss out on crucial feedback. Are they nodding their heads at what you’re saying? Are they rolling their eyes? If you’re sincerely interested in other people’s input, it helps to be able to see them.
The losses go even deeper than that. When people are off camera, they’re less likely to focus and contribute, more likely to multitask or drift away. (The sign of typing in the background is a dead giveaway.)
The result of this shift is less engagement, fewer contributions, lower standards, and ultimately less resilience for the organization.
Let’s take a tour of the three types of meeting and explore some guidelines to help in finding the right mix.
Even in a world built around remote work, there are times when nothing can replace being there. When you’re sitting across the table from clients or colleagues, you can pick up on cues that never make it through a screen.
At MHA, we still find that some of our most valuable insights come from time spent face to face with our clients.
In recent months, our consultants have traveled to client sites in the U.K., Saudi Arabia, Guam, and Italy, as well as many U.S. workplaces. Every trip reinforces the lesson that when you see people in their environment, you gain a depth of understanding that no video conference or phone call can provide.
For BC practitioners working inside organizations, the same principle applies. Whether you’re conducting a BIA interview, discussing BC plans, or leading a mock-disaster exercise, being in the room with your coworkers can make all the difference. It promotes engagement, lets you read people’s reactions, and tends to result in deeper, better outcomes.
Sometimes in-person meetings are not possible. Or there’s a feeling that the inconvenience and expense are not worth it since there’s a pretty good alternative available.
That alternative is video conferencing, and as far as I’m concerned it’s a modern miracle.
For most of today’s BC work, video conferencing strikes an excellent balance between convenience and connection. It lets teams collaborate cheaply from anywhere while still enabling a fair amount of human engagement.
Video has become the backbone of how we meet, and it’s remarkable how effective it can be. It allows us to see each other, read each other’s reactions, and connect as people. It works reasonably well for conducting BIAs, collaborating on plans, running training sessions, and even carrying out full-scale disaster exercises.
Yes, appearing on video while working at home might require a bit of effort in terms of dress, grooming, and background. But the payoff is worth it. Seeing everyone’s faces is a reminder that there are real people on the other side of the screen: colleagues who are thinking, responding, and contributing.
The result is stronger engagement, clearer communication, and better results across the board.
There’s definitely a place for phone calls in our profession. There’s nothing better for certain kinds of quick updates or relaxed check-ins, especially between people who know each other well.
But the growing trend of people leaving their cameras off during video calls is regrettable. This is especially true when the calls are for critical activities such as gathering information for BIAs, working on continuity plans, or conducting disaster exercises.
The inability of the BC consultant or practitioner to see the participants’ faces eliminates a critical source of feedback. Participants’ invisibility makes it all too easy for them to tune out, multitask, or otherwise disengage.
For the organization, the consequences include gaps in information, misunderstandings, lower-quality outputs, and diminished accountability. When critical BC work is conducted without visibility, connections fray and resilience is weakened.
Remote and hybrid work are here to stay. This is fine by me: being able to collaborate across locations and time zones allows BC teams to tap expertise and resources that would be difficult to access otherwise. But flexibility shouldn’t come at the cost of engagement, visibility, or understanding.
In-person meetings remain the most effective way to surface critical information, build alignment, develop new relationships, and foster trust. Video conferencing is a solid option for most day-to-day collaboration, including gathering BIA information, developing continuity plans, and conducting exercises.
The worst mode of collaboration is also the fastest-growing one: when participants leave their cameras off during video calls. This deprives the BC team of critical feedback, encourages participants to tune out, and discourages the type of connection that is essential to success.
Here are some practical steps BC teams can take to ensure meetings remain productive and engaging:
Kick-off meetings or critical discussions benefit most from face-to-face interaction. Even brief one-on-one conversations can reveal nuances that virtual settings often obscure.
For tasks such as BIA interviews, plan development, and mock disaster exercises, all participants should be on camera. Seeing each other ensures engagement, accountability, and accurate information.
Communicate ahead of time about when cameras are required and why. Exceptions should be rare and explicitly justified, such as illness or technical issues.
Practitioners and leaders should model the behavior they expect. Consistent visibility demonstrates commitment, encourages engagement, and fosters trust.
By combining intentional format choices with clear protocols, BC teams can maintain focus, ensure accountability, and preserve the human connection that drives better decisions and stronger programs.
The rise of remote work and the boom in video conferencing have had many positive impacts on the practice of business continuity. Not as positive is the growing tendency of participants to leave their cameras off during BC meetings, depriving the continuity team of valuable feedback and encouraging participants to tune out.
To prevent this, BC teams should set clear protocols and collaborate with leadership to define when visibility is required. Doing so ensures meetings are focused, participants stay engaged, and both the work and the relationships that support it remain strong.
If your organization is struggling to maintain engagement in today’s hybrid environment, MHA Consulting can help. We develop communication strategies and meeting protocols that put the human element back at the center of business continuity, strengthening teams and enhancing resilience.
Further Reading